Abstract: Gossypol is a kind of naturally yellow polyphenolic compounds extracted from root，stem and seed of the cotton plant. It had received significant attention for its potential application as a male antifertility agent. Then it was used to treat female hormone-dependent diseases，for instance, endometriosis，hysteromyoma，uterine bleeding and dysmenorrheal. Further researches showed that gossypol has multiple biological activities，such as anti-inflammatory，antimalarial，antiviral antioxidant activities and so on，especially the ability to induce tumor cell apoptosis.

Key words: Gossypol, Pharmacological action, Anti-cancer